Now that Vincent think about it... he haven't actually been outside his room. He even became very dramatic and poetic because of it.
'For all these years, this space—this... glorified baby prison—had been my entire universe. The walls, the crib, the soft plushies that served as my reluctant subjects... all of it, an inescapable realm I had come to know too well. But beyond this door? There was... there was the unknown. A world uncharted. A realm of possibilities, discoveries, and, perhaps most importantly... different foods I had yet to taste.
Man, the very thought of that makes me hungry already.
Well, today?
Today is the day I was going through it.'
But there was this unmoving despicable barrier that keeps him from venturing the outside world.
Yes, it is what you think it is, or maybe not.
The door.
For many months after he learned how to walk, it has stood as his greatest nemesis. The last line of defense that stood between him and the rest of the entire mansion. A silent challenge, mocking his short limbs and wobbly steps.
But no longer.
He had grown stronger. He had conquered walking. He had even mapped every inch of his nursery, tamed its soft carpets, and even established diplomatic relations with his stuffed animals.
It was time for him to conquer the next stage of his journey.
And by the "next stage," I meant the hallway.
〔 Quest Received 〕
Objective: Escape the confines of your baby prison
Reward: Absolute Freedom! (Until someone catches you.)
'Woah. A quest? My first quest? Okay, let's try doing it.'
~ Operation: Great Escape ~
'The plan was very simple
Step 1: Walk through the door
Step 2: Wait for an opportunity
Step 3: Escape'
The moment came when Cecile, one of the maids who looked after him, entered to clean up. As she turned her back, Vincent made his move. With all the speed and grace like a rolling potato, he ran forward as fast as he could.
Okay, that might be an exaggeration. Maybe more of like an unsteady wobble.
The door was slightly open.
One step... Two steps...
A huge grin spread across Vincent's face.
He was unstoppable!
Then—
Thud.
He crashed face-first into the door frame.
〔Agility: 0.3 → 0.4 (You're now slightly less clumsy!) 〕
'Just shut up, man.'
Pain pulsed through Vincent's forehead but he refused to stop. For him, all of what's happening was a really great opportunity.
"Young Master?!"
Cecile gasped behind him, but he didn't look back.
He squeezed through the door, tumbled into the hallway, and—
'Finally! I was free.'
~ The Vast and Dangerous World of… The Hallway ~
'Victory is mine! HAHAHA'
〔 Not yet. But still... you're about to complete the quest. Try enjoying your freedom boy while it lasts. 〕
'Yeah, sure. That's exactly what I'm going to do. Anyways...'
Vincent wandered at the hallway. It was stretched out in both directions, filled with fancy furniture and shiny vases. The air smelled different—less like baby powder and more like a polished wood. The floor was smooth and cold under his bare feet.
For the first time in this life he was outside of his room.
〔Achievement Unlocked: First Steps into the Unknown! 〕
'...So now, what?'
He looked left. Empty hall.
He looked right. More empty hall.
'No monsters. Not even food. Disappointing.'
But he wasn't going to waste this chance.
He took a deep breath, lifted his foot, and—started walking.
Vincent didn't get far before he ran into trouble—the maids.
Two of them were walking down the hallway, talking as they carried a pile of clean clothes.
'Alright, Vincent. Stay~ calm. Act natural.'
He stood up straight, pretended he had sleeves to adjust, and tried to walk like a nobleman.
〔 You sure this will work? 〕
'Yeah. Just watch and learn.'
〔 I highly doubt that. 〕
'Shh. Shh. Just let me...'
〔 Warning: Toddler-level balance detected. 〕
Vincent's left foot shook. His right knee bent the wrong way.
And then—
"Plop."
He sat down. Not exactly the cool look he was hoping for.
One of the maids gasped. "Young Master Vincent?!"
'Uh-oh. I knew this maid—Maria. She was one of the older ones who took care of me.' And from the look on her face, she was very surprised to see him there.
"How did you get out? Did Cecile leave the door open?"
He tried to look innocent, but with the red mark on his forehead, it was probably useless.
Maria hurried over and started checking him like he was a broken toy.
"Young Master, I knew you were getting better at walking, but this is dangerous! What if you fell down the stairs?"
'Maria, please. I have already mastered falling.'
〔 What's there to learn again? HAHAHAHA. 〕
The other maid giggled. "He looks so proud of himself."
"Of course he does," Maria sighed, lifting Vincent up like he weighed nothing. "He just staged a great escape."
〔 Quest Failed! 〕
No reward. No glory. Just the shame of being carried back like a sack of potatoes.
Vincent pouted as Maria took him back to his room.
His first adventure had failed.
But then—
"Since you've been such a clever boy, Young Master," Maria said, "why don't we ask Lady Clara to take you to the garden later?"
'…The garden? A whole new place to explore? Maybe this wasn't such a failure after all.'
〔 New Quest Unlocked: Explore the Garden! 〕
~ The Garden of Secrets ~
Lady Clara, Vincent's mother—had indeed given them permission to explore the garden but with a catch...
Maria was assigned as his watcher.
She followed behind at a reasonable distance, her eyes never straying too far. To her credit, she wasn't overly restrictive, simply keeping watch Vincent as he wandered.
The garden was… vast. Far larger than Vincent had imagined from the glimpses he'd seen through his window. Vibrant flowers, lined stone paths, towering trees casting long shadows, and at the very center stood an elegant fountain, its crystal-clear water reflecting the midday sun.
But Vincent's eyes were drawn to something else.
There was something strange near the base of an old willow tree, half-buried in the soil—a small, rectangular ornament embedded in the ground. It was barely noticeable beneath the tangled roots, but the intricate carvings on its surface caught his attention.
Curious, he knelt and ran his fingers over the design.
"Click."
A faint sound, like a mechanism unlocking, whispered beneath his touch. Then—without warning—the ground beneath him shifted.
A tiny, rectangular section of earth slid away, revealing a hidden compartment no larger than a shoebox.
Vincent held his breath.
Inside, wrapped in ancient, tattered cloth, was… a dagger.
〔 That was it? 〕
'Uh. Oh, wait.'
No, it's not just any dagger.
The moment his fingers brushed against the hilt, a strange sensation coursed through him. The weight was perfect, as if it had been forged just for him. Faint runes, nearly invisible in the daylight, shimmered along the blade.
〔 System Notification: You have obtained an Ancient Weapon! 〕
Item Acquired: Nameless Dagger
— A relic of a forgotten era. Bound to the one who awakens it.
Vincent quickly glanced at Maria.
She was still at a distance, humming softly to herself as she admired the flower beds.
'Perfect.'
Carefully, Vincent rewrapped the dagger in its cloth and tucked it into the loose folds of his clothing. The hidden compartment sealed itself moments later, as if it had never existed.
〔 No one saw. No one knew. 〕
'Yeah. A secret treasure… all mine.'
But that wasn't the only discovery he made that day.
As he wandered deeper into the garden, past the well-manicured hedges and towering fruit trees, he stumbled upon something unusual.
A bush rustled.
Vincent paused.
Something was there. Something… watching him.
Slowly, Vincent approached it. Pushed aside the leaves—
And found himself staring at a creature unlike any he had ever seen.
It was... small—no larger than a housecat—but its body was covered in sleek black scales. Wisps of ethereal blue energy flickered across its back like ghostly flames. Its eyes, a luminous gold, locked onto his with intelligence far beyond that of a mere animal.
〔 System Notification: You have encountered a Young Eldryn Beast! 〕
'Wait. Eldryn?
That was an ancient legendary species. Beasts that once ruled the skies in the distant past… and were believed to be extinct.
And here was a baby one. In our garden.
Staring... at me.'
A beat of silence passed.
Then, to his absolute shock, the little creature stepped forward—pressing its head lightly against his hand.
〔 System Notification: The Young Eldryn Beast has acknowledged you as its master! 〕
'Oh. Oh no. If anyone found out what this was, it would be taken away. Locked up. Studied. Maybe even… killed. I couldn't let that happen.'
Making a split-second decision, Vincent gently lifted the tiny creature into his arms, cradling it close. It let out a soft purring sound, curling against his warmth.
"Vincent?" Maria's voice.
Vincent nearly jumped.
Turning, he saw her approaching from a distance, looking around curiously.
"I thought I heard something over here," she said.
'Think fast, Vincent.'
He crouched slightly, pretending to be fascinated by a random flower. The little beast, as if sensing the need for secrecy, remained perfectly still within the folds of his clothing.
Maria tilted her head. "Are you playing with the grass?"
He nodded enthusiastically.
She chuckled. "You're such a curious little one."
If only she knew.
As she turned away, humming to herself once more, Vincent exhaled in relief.
He glanced down at the dagger wrapped in cloth and the little Eldryn Beast nestled against his chest.
'One was an ancient relic, the other a supposedly extinct legendary creature. Both things absolutely needed to stay hidden. But where was I supposed to put them?!'
If he tried to keep the dagger in his room, someone might find it, and if he left the Eldryn outside, someone might definitely find it.
'I need to find a solution.'
〔 Well. I guess I'll help you a little bit then. 〕
'Oh, really. You can do that? I thought you're just an unseen blabber.'
〔 Man, you're cruel. Sobs. Anyway, here you go. Try paying me after though. 〕
Ttrrring...
〔 System Notification: Due to your relentless desire to hoard things, a new ability has been unlocked! 〕
〔 New Skill Acquired: Dimensional Storage (Tiny Edition) 〕
'Whoa.'
Vincent blinked, excitement was swelling in his chest. 'Did I… just get a storage ability? A true, honest-to-goodness inventory?!'
〔 Yeah, yeah. Wait, let me take it out. 〕
'Okay.'
A box appeared in his vision, floating like a status window in a game. It looked sleek, mysterious, full of endless possibilities!
〔 Dimensional Storage: Capacity – About One (1) Shoebox 〕
'…Huh? Wait, wait a minute.' Vincent blinked again.
'No, surely I misread that.'
He focused harder, willing it to be bigger, grander, more useful.
〔 Dimensional Storage: Capacity – One (1) Shoe (Yes, you read that right.) 〕
'…'
'WHAT KIND OF PATHETIC INVENTORY WAS THIS?!'
Vincent nearly choked on his frustration. His first real ability, his first actual skill—and it could only hold something the size of a shoe?!
〔 System Notification: Congratulations! Your hoarding instincts have manifested in the most underwhelming way possible! Smirks. 〕
〔 Warning: Do not attempt to store dreams, aspirations, or hope. They will not fit. 〕
Vincent clenched his tiny fists. 'This stupid system was mocking me again.
But… but still. Still! Even if it was small, it was still mine!'
He hesitantly reached toward the dagger, focusing on the storage skill. The moment his fingers brushed against it—poof!—the weapon vanished.
Vincent gasped.
Then, with a simple thought—poof!—the dagger reappeared in his hands.
'It... It worked! I'm still disappointed that it's so small but I guess I'll thank you for this. Wait, now that I think about it, who are you again? I haven't really asked you this haven't I?'
〔 Your real dad. 〕
'Man, I'm serious right now.'
〔 Well, I don't know either. 〕
'Is it alright if I call you Papa?'
〔 That would be my pleasure. 〕
'Nah, I was just joking. I think I'll call you Shawn.'
〔 Wow. That's very... common. 〕
'Just accept it. Oh, wait. I almost forgot about the skill. Hehe yeah boi, I got a real skill now.'
A slow grin spread across his face. Sure, it was insultingly small, but this was progress!
He could hide things now!
'No one could take things from me now! Haha.'
…Well, as long as they fit inside the space of a shoe.
〔 Heh, a hoarder. But that was a victory to be honest. Ofcourse, because of me. 〕
Vincent glanced down at the small, sleek creature curled up in his lap. The Eldryn Beast—his Eldryn Beast—was no bigger than a housecat, its smooth black scales shimmering faintly under the moonlight. Its golden eyes blinked lazily at him, radiating an air of smug superiority.
"Alright, little guy," Vincent whispered. "We have to make sure no one finds you, okay? So you need to be very, very, very quiet."
〔 How many 'very' again? 〕
The lizard tilted its head, clearly unimpressed by Vincent's words.
And then—shlorp.
It just… sank into the shadows.
〔 Woah, that's cool. 〕
Vincent blinked. "Wait. What."
Before he could panic, the lizard's head slowly rose out of the darkness, emerging like some kind of smug ghost.
〔 System Notification: Congratulations! Your pet has an ability you don't! So sad. 〕
〔 Ability Unlocked: Shadow Stealth 〕
'…Oh. Oh, this was good. This was really good.'
He grinned. "Alright, buddy. From now on, this is our little secret."
The lizard gave a slow, knowing blink.
And then—shlorp.
Gone.